Getting five the hard way

Coleman wrestlers put on late surge to win tourney title

The Coleman wrestling team turned in a gallant final-day effort to win the Oshkosh Lourdes On the Water Tournament for the fifth straight year Saturday. Special to the EagleHerald

OSHKOSH, Wis. - The latest tournament trophy for the Coleman wrestling team is covered with blood, sweat and cheers.The Cougars turned a valiant down-to-the-wire effort to win the Oshkosh Lourdes On the Water tournament title for the fifth-straight year Saturday night.Coleman trailed Wittenberg-Birmanwood the entire tournament before C.J. Pillath scored a pin in 2:36 of his fifth-place match with Lourdes' John Fehning to clinch the gold trophy in the final match of the tournament.The Cougars finished with 321 1/2 points, edging Wittenburg-Birnamwood by 3 1/2 points for the title."What an outstanding effort to win it when we were behind for most of the tournament," coach Kevin Casper said. "It was a total team effort to surpass Wittenberg-Birnamwood."Pillath stayed strong after a second-round loss to reel off five straight while claiming a fifth-place medal at 220 pounds.Dexter Karban (160) battled his way to silver medal honors and Jensyn Schaal (126), Jackson Margis (138) and Trevor Seewald (145) claimed third-place medals in the 69-team tournament.Karban registered a technical fall, and two major decisions before losing to Braxton Potrykus, the No. 1 seed, 10-2 in the championship match.Margis posted a pair of pins at 138 before losing to Trent Gottsacker of Random Lake 5-2 in the quarterfinals.After an 8-5 win over Peshtigo's D.J. Messenger and another pin, Margis delivered a third-place pay to Gottsacker with a 4-0 victory.Schaal scored a pair of major decisions at 126 before losing to a tough 2-0 decision to the unbeaten and eventual champion Jose Acosta of Manitowoc Lutheran in the semifinals.Schaal defeated Dustin Jensen of Freedom 11-3 in the third-place match.Seewald racked up three pins at 145 before losing in the semifinals. He battled back to pin Trevor Maske of Plymouth in 4:23 of the third-place match.Kevin Lansin had a pair of pins at 152, Alex Stodola (170) registered a pin and a major decision and Connor Salewski (285), Hunter Stodola (182) and Derek Teteak (106) each posted pins in the tournament.Messenger led Peshtigo's 42nd-place finish and Gillett-Suring placed 51st.